Monday, May 5, 2014

Glendale Week 38 * May 5, 2014

Hello!Happy Cinco De Mayo! 🎉I have been wondering this week what I could do to help the work moveforward and I have come to one conclusion, I must talk with everyone.I once heard that if you want to baptize a few people then talk to afew people, if you want to baptize a couple people then talk to acouple people, but if you want to baptize everyone then you have totalk to everyone. It may sound like common sense, but honestly it isnot as easy as you think. Even though I am already weird for being outon a bike in a white shirt and tie, it is still hard to talk to acomplete stranger. I don't know what it is. I really want to but I amsuch a chicken. I think it is more of a mental block. Since our mission is not a tracting mission this is the only waywe as missionaries can take matters into our own hands. Other thantalking with people on the streets, we also really try to work with themembers in our ward. But then again they have their agency and about a millionother things going on in their lives so missionary work sometimes mayfall to the wayside, which I understand. It takes a major change inlifestyle to become missionary minded all the time. It is hard. But Iknow that as we all make a conscious effort to remember it is our dutyto share this gospel with everyone then we will have the power from onhigh to do it!We have been working a lot with the members of the Sunburst ward. Itis amazing to feel a prompting or have a name come to your mind ofsomeone you should go visit and when you get there you find out theyreally needed you. It is just a testimony builder to me that HeavenlyFather loves us all. Even if we have already made the promises withHim to live the best we can He will still help us up when we fall.Whether that is through his own way or try sending someone along ourpath to help us, it will get done. I know helping the less actives ina ward may be more important then bringing more people into the wardbecause they have already made certain covenants with Heavenly Fatherand it is important for us to be there for them. We need to help them. All of us.Not just the full time missionaries. I love working with them andseeing their progress. One boy we were working with was falling away fromthe church and so we started to meet with him. He took the necessarysteps on his own to come back. He received the priesthood and just lastSaturday he baptized his two younger sisters. It was a verypowerful moment in time. I will never forget it. I loved every minuteof being there.We had a zone meeting this past Friday and the major focus was onfamily history. Can you believe it? We are going to start usingpeople's ancestors to get them into our church buildings and help themfeel the spirit! Who knew it would be such a great tool. I have nothad much experience with usingfamilysearch.orgso it was really nicewhen they brought a family history expert in to teach us. Guys, thisis an amazing missionary work. There are others in our own family thatneed our help. They that have passed on cannot do this work. As youtype in their names and find them it is such an amazing feeling. Now Iknow why the grandpas and grandmas do this all the time, it makes youSO happy! There is no other feeling like it. Please try it out. Youwill not be disappointed. Share it with your friends. Help them figureout how to do it and then explain to them the feelings they are havingwhen they find those ancestors pleading for help. Your testimonieswill be strengthened. I promise.I have really been trying to be optimistic lately. Optimism is one of the best traitsIf we are optimistic about the things going on in our life then we will see the good in all things. We will work harder and try our best to make the outcome what we want it to be. We have this power as human beings. We can be anything we want, we can make anything we want, but you have to see the great potential thateverything has. We can all rely on the love of our Heavenly Father tohelp us out. I came across a man the other day that had those rosecolored glasses permanently attached to his face. He was so happy andso excited for the events that were to come. I know his life is a bitbetter just because of this attitude. It was contagious. Just beingaround him made me want my life to progress. I can't wait for thoseevents to come into my life that will change me forever. This missionis one of them. You can look at your challenges as road blocks to therest of your life or you can see them as stepping stones. It is yourchoice. It is my choice. I am so happy I chose to serve a mission. It ischallenging and rough at times but if I look to the future and see thebenefits of the experiences I am having then it makes it all worth it. I love you all so much. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank youfor all the letters and notes. They mean a lot. Mother's Day is thisweek. I can't wait to talk to my family!Until next weekElder Cole Safford